Japan's education ministry is expanding the scope of its financial aid provisions for non-Japanese students' university education.

The ministry offers scholarships, loans, and tuition reductions or exemptions through the Japan Student Services Organization. Those eligible are currently limited to Japanese citizens and permanent or special permanent residents.

The ministry has now decided to expand the eligibility to students with a "dependent" status, which covers spouses and children of foreign workers in Japan, starting in April.

The number of people living in Japan on dependent visa was about 228,000 in 2022, an increase of more than 100,000 from a decade ago.
Calls have grown for the government to provide more aid for non-Japanese children who seek higher education in Japan.

The ministry says those eligible must have graduated from elementary through high school in Japan, and intend to work in the country after graduating from university.

The ministry estimates that there would be about 200 non-Japanese students eligible for the program every year.

It plans to accept public comments over a one-month period until mid-March before revising relevant ministerial ordinances.